The influence of particle size distribution on rheological properties of fused silica pastes for direct ink writing

Abstract

Additive manufacturing of ceramics through the direct ink writing method becomes possible when the effective parameters on rheology are optimized accurately. Successful manufacturing first requires the easy flowing of the ink through the nozzle and then a suitable viscoelastic response for the shape retention of the 3D printed structure. In the present study, fused silica pastes with different particle size distributions varying from D90 of 5–50 µm were prepared for direct ink writing of porous structures. The rheological properties of the pastes, including flow behavior and the viscoelastic moduli variations, were investigated to study the influence of particle size and its distribution on fabricating complex structures. Through investigations, it was found that the narrower size distributions were more appropriate for direct ink writing of fused silica pastes. As the distribution became narrow, the shear thinning behavior was intensified, and the pastes showed high elasticity. The sintering procedure was performed using microwave radiation to suggest a fast process for manufacturing fused silica complex parts containing partially crystallized cristobalite phase and providing porosity of about 10% and a relative density of 90%.

Design and fabrication of bioinspired pattern driven magnetic actuators

“…On the other hand, DIW provides a wide range of material selections but retaining the material's shape after printing is challenging. Therefore, among different technologies, the simple working mechanism, low cost, and wide adaptability of the material in FDM have made this method the potential shaping process for magnetic actuators [44]. By utilizing FDM 3D printing methods, magnetic actuators can be structured with homogeneously dispersed magnetic particles [31,32], or anisotropic magnetization profiles [30,33,42,43].…”

Effects of surface topography through laser texturing on the surface characteristics of zirconia-based dental materials: surface hydrophobicity, antibacterial behavior, and cellular response

“…With the rapid development of medical materials, bioceramic materials specifically zirconia due to their unique properties, including favorable mechanical properties, excellent chemical inertness, exceptional abrasion resistance and biocompatible properties are gradually replacing conventional polymers and metals in the manufacture of dental implants [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Numerous studies have demonstrated that zirconia ceramics are ideal for dental implants due to their ability to osseointegrate as a promising material [7,8].…”